The BBC’s Sian Williams has opened up about the time she fainted while presenting a major Royal event after her feed cut leaving her with nothing to talk about

The set of Breakfast

Sian Williams has opened up about the time she fainted on-air (Image: Getty)

BBC presenter Sian Williams has revealed she fainted during a major royal event attended by King Charles and Prince William. Sian, 61, was fronting the BBC’s live coverage of the opening of the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in 2004.

Unknown to viewers at home, Sian collapsed whilst presenting the programme. It had been a sweltering day and she had been on her feet in a marquee for several hours, according to The Times. Sian had been filling airtime and maintaining her commentary as cameras awaited the arrival of the Royal Family. Her video feed then cut out, leaving her with nothing to discuss on air.

 

An adult female, dressed in a pink long-sleeved shirt, appears to be speaking to an audience while standing against a backdrop t

Sian Williams was presenting from the Diana memorial fountain opening in 2001 (Image: BBC)

As the pressure reached breaking point, Sian became disorientated and her vision began to blur. At the very moment she lost consciousness and fell, producers switched to Nicholas Witchall.

Following three custard creams, Sian returned to the broadcast and completed the programme. Speaking to The Times, she said: “I thought, get off the floor, get back on the stool. Do the job that you’re here to do, Sian, because there are millions of people watching.

“I also thought, I hope nobody ever, ever finds out about this – I mustn’t tell anyone. It can be hard to reveal yourself to other people when you think you’ve failed in case that’s the end for you. I think I would absolutely be much kinder to myself now.”

Sian says her anxiety spiralling out of control was a key factor in her decision to retrain as a psychologist in 2021, following decades of struggling with the condition. She revealed: “When I was six anxiety was there, and now I’m 61 anxiety is still here.”

The Royal Family at the opening of a fountain built in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, in London's Hyde Park.

The Royal Family at the opening of a fountain built in memory of Diana, Princess of Wales, in London’s Hyde Park. (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)

Sian, who now refers to herself as Dr, has authored a book categorising individuals as either “dandelions” or “orchids”. She describes dandelions as extroverts who thrive in any environment.

In contrast, orchids, such as Sian, frequently battle with anxiety and possess heightened awareness of potential threats. She maintains that psychological research indicates our DNA can dictate whether somebody is an orchid or a dandelion.

Sian, who fronted BBC Breakfast from 2001 to 2012, insists being an orchid has never hindered her career. She acknowledges she wasn’t “the kind of person who you would think would become a presenter”.

She has recently penned a book entitled The Power of Anxiety: How to Ride the Worry Wave following her realisation that she needed to be “much kinder” to herself. The Diana memorial fountain continues to stand in Hyde Park today.

It was formally unveiled by Queen Elizabeth II in 2001, four years following Diana’s death in a car accident in Paris. Its inauguration marked the first occasion the Royal Family assembled with the Spencer family in seven years.